Your hair is a beautiful and natural expression of your individuality, and it deserves all the care and protection it can get. Protective styles are a great way to showcase your unique style while shielding your precious locks from harsh elements and daily wear and tear. Whether you have curly, coily, or wavy hair, incorporating protective styles into your hair care routine can help maintain your hair’s health, length, and overall manageability.
Protective styles are a fantastic way to give your natural hair a break while maintaining its health and promoting growth. Whether you’re considering braids, twists, weaves, or extensions, proper preparation is key to ensuring the success and longevity of your protective style. Proper preparation promotes healthy hair and allows you to enjoy your protective style confidently. A little prepping goes a long way in protecting and nurturing your natural hair.
What Is A Protective Style?
A protective style is a hairstyle designed to protect your natural hair from damage, breakage, and environmental stressors. These styles typically involve tucking away the ends of your hair, minimizing manipulation, and reducing exposure to harsh elements that can cause hair damage. The primary goal of a protective style is to maintain the health and length of your natural hair while promoting optimal hair growth.
Protective styles come in various forms and can cater to different hair types and textures. Some popular protective styles include braids, twists, buns, updos, wigs, weaves, and extensions. These styles can be achieved using natural hair alone or by adding hair extensions for added length and volume.
The Key Characteristics of A Protective Style Include:
1. Low Manipulation: Protective styles reduce the need for frequent styling and manipulation, which can lead to breakage and hair damage.
2. Enclosed Ends: The ends of your hair are tucked away or secured to prevent split ends and minimize exposure to friction.
3. Reduced Exposure to Elements: Protective styles shield your hair from environmental factors like sun, wind, and cold weather, which can cause dryness and damage.
4. Moisture Retention: Properly prepared protective styles often involve deep conditioning and moisturizing, helping to maintain your hair’s natural moisture and hydration.
5. Length Retention: Protective styles support hair growth and length retention by minimizing breakage and damage.
6. Versatility: Protective styles can be versatile and adapted to suit different occasions, from casual to formal events.
Essential Steps to Follow to Prepare Your Hair for a Protective Style
A protective style adds flair to your look and offers an excellent way to shield your natural hair from harsh elements, reducing breakage and promoting growth. However, achieving the best results with your protective style begins with proper preparation.
Step 1: Cleanse and Clarify Your Hair
Start your protective style journey by thoroughly cleansing your hair using shampoo. This step will help to eliminate any product buildup, dirt, and impurities hindering your protective style from adhering correctly. A clean scalp and hair provide the perfect foundation for a successful and lasting protective style.
Mara Cruiz Moisturizing Shampoos provide nourishing and super cleansing properties to the hair and scalp. It thoroughly cleanses the hair without stripping it of its natural oil.
Step 2: Deep Condition Your Hair
Deep conditioning is crucial in preparing your hair for a protective style by nourishing and fortifying your strands. Treat your strands to a nutrient-rich deep conditioner that replenishes lost moisture, improves elasticity, and strengthens hair. Apply the deep conditioner generously from root to tip, cover your hair with a plastic cap, and let it work its magic for 20-30 minutes. This step leaves your hair profoundly hydrated and ready before the protective style is installed, reducing the risk of dryness and damage.
Mara Cruiz Intense Moisture Deep Conditioner is infused with moisture-boosting ingredients and herbal extracts to reinforce the hair cuticle, improve moisture, and foster healthier and stronger hair.
Step 3: Moisturize Your Hair and Seal in Moisture
After deep conditioning, it’s time to infuse your hair with moisture. Apply a leave-in conditioner or a moisturizing lotion to each section of your hair, ensuring it’s well-hydrated from root to end. Mara Cruiz 2-1 Leave-in Conditioner for Natural Hair and the Anti-Breakage & Repair Growth Lotion for Relaxed Hair are daily hair moisturizers that protect and strengthens the hair against breakage and split ends while melting away knots and tangles.
To lock in the moisture, seal your hair’s cuticles with natural oil or butter. Proper moisture retention sets the stage for a successful and long-lasting protective style. Mara Cruiz Hair Growth oils are formulated to reduce hair loss and breakage.
Step 4: Detangle and Trim
Gently detangle your hair, starting from the tips and working your way up to the roots. Use a wide-toothed comb or your fingers to minimize breakage and tugging. Remove any split ends or damaged hair by trimming lightly. Detangling and trimming promote healthy hair growth and create a smooth canvas for your protective style.
Step 5: Scalp Care
A healthy scalp is vital for a successful protective style. Prioritize scalp care by massaging your scalp with a nourishing oil like the Mara Cruiz Hair Growth Stimulator Oil.
This step stimulates blood circulation, nourishes the scalp, and promotes a clean, moisturized, and balanced environment for your hair to flourish.
Step 6: Stretch Your Hair
Stretching your hair before installing a protective style can help reduce shrinkage and make the styling process more manageable. Consider heat-free stretching techniques like braiding, banding, or twisting your hair overnight. This lets you achieve your protective style’s desired length and volume while minimizing manipulation.
Here are different heat-free techniques that you can use to stretch your hair before installing a protective style.
With these six essential steps, your hair is well-prepared and ready for a fabulous and protective hairstyle. The combination of cleansing, deep conditioning, moisturizing, detangling, scalp care, and stretching will ensure your hair remains healthy and thriving throughout the protective style’s duration. Investing time and care in preparing your hair will reward you with a stunning and long-lasting look, allowing you to flaunt your natural beauty confidently and easily.